She also avoided any controversial statements that landed her in public feuds during her first year of office.

Douglas said she is "hopeful" and "cautiously optimistic" about where the state's education system is headed.

Among the positive developments she touted:

Proposition 123, Gov. Doug Ducey's $3.5 billion education-funding package that voters will weigh in on during a May election.

The 156-page education-reform plan she introduced in October.

These proposals, she said, are a good first step in helping to move the needle on Arizona's low national rankings for student funding and achievement. But they can't be the end-all for funding Arizona's schools, she added.

"We stand on the cusp, the precipice," she said, "of either taking a bold step forward to restore Arizona to national prominence or stumbling and remaining a system with inadequate funding, federal interference and over-regulation."

Douglas said her top priority is getting more consistent funding for Arizona's schools.

Her speech listed victories and goals, and mostly strayed from issues that ignited public battles last year with the state Board of Education and, at one point, Ducey.

Douglas, a Republican, won office on a platform to change Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards. She feuded most of last year with the Board of Education and its president over control of the board's staff and the future of Arizona's learning standards. She also faced a recall attempt that fell well short of the needed signatures.

Last year, the superintendent focused her speech on blasting the state's Common Core-based learning standards and called the state of education "poor."

Changing the state's learning standards is still on her to-do list. Douglas briefly mentioned an Education Board vote in October that symbolically severed ties with Common Core. Wednesday, she also promoted a proposed bill that would allow parents to opt their kids out of state testing.

Most of her address, though, concentrated on school funding.

"Just as in the comic Peanuts, Lucy will hold the ball and then yank it away from Charlie Brown at the last minute," Douglas said. "For education, it is too early to tell if we are only spending enough money to settle a lawsuit and temporarily placate the public, or if we are seriously taking the first step to building the best education system in the nation, right here in Arizona."

Beyond her prepared remarks, Douglas offered little insight to her thoughts on Ducey's budget proposal, which is separate from Prop. 123.

The governor's budget includes $30 million for a three-year competitive grant program for career and technical education and $15 million next school year for a program to fund school-building repairs.

Douglas deflected questions by a state lawmaker during her address and reporters afterward about whether she felt Ducey's budget fell short.

Instead, the superintendent said part of her goal is to make the state's funding formula less complicated and rely less on programs and legislation that send money to schools only for short periods.

"We want to make sure that we get consistent funding that we can depend upon," she said.

Christie Silverstein, vice president of public engagement for Expect More Arizona, a statewide education advocacy group, found reason to be optimistic in Douglas' speech.

"We’re encouraged by her top priority being education funding," Silverstein told The Arizona Republic after the address. "The fact that she's calling for more dollars to be added to the classroom and that teacher pay needs to be increased, I think we’re generally hopeful that we’re moving in that direction as a state as well. We appreciate her focus."

Diane Douglas becomes an involved Peoria Unified School District parent, questioning things such as block scheduling, classroom discipline and a teacher pay incentive program called Career Ladder.

June 2004

Lobbying for rights

Douglas joins the newly created Peoria United Parent Council to lobby district for parents' rights.

November 2004

Peoria Unified School District

Douglas is elected to Peoria Unified School District Governing Board.

March 2005

Public comments

Douglas makes news by championing a regular "call to the public" comment time at Peoria board meetings.

June 2005

Questions bond issue

Douglas votes against putting a Peoria Unified bond on an election ballot, saying it was not clear what money would be spent for.

May 2007

Recall threatened

Douglas and two other Peoria board members are threatened with a recall, but the effort fizzles out.

November 2008

Douglas is re-elected

Douglas is re-elected to Peoria school board and becomes board president.

April 2010

Another recall effort

Douglas is threatened with another recall by parents who are unhappy with her opposition to a half-cent sales tax for education. This effort also fizzles.

November 2012

Glendale City Council run fails

Douglas loses bid for a Glendale City Council seat.

August 2014

Douglas takes on Huppenthal, wins

Douglas beats incumbent John Huppenthal in Republican primary for the Arizona superintendent of public instruction seat. Huppenthal lost voter support after he admitted that he made offensive blog posts from his state office.

November 2014

Douglas wins general election

Douglas beats opponent David Garcia, becoming Arizona superintendent of public instruction with 50.55 percent of the vote.

January 2015

Tucson Unified School District

Douglas voices support for ethnic-studies classes and goes to work to sort out issues in the Tucson Unified School District, which was in legal trouble over its program.

January 2015

'State of education'

Douglas gives a "state of education" speech and denounces the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards, the state's graduation rate and more.

February 2015

Douglas fires two Board of Education staffers

Douglas fires two Arizona State Board of Education staffers over agenda conflicts. Gov. Doug Ducey reinstates the employees, and the groundwork for a legal battle is set.

March 2015

Douglas takes two losses

Repeal of Common Core that was supported by Douglas dies in the Arizona Senate. A bill that would have clarified that Douglas has the power to hire and fire Arizona State Board of Education staff died in the Arizona House.

April 2015

Douglas travels state

Douglas launches a statewide "Listening Tour," inviting the public to tell her what is on their minds when it comes to public education. A "We Heard You" tour began Oct. 1.

May 2015

Court rules against Douglas

Douglas take the Arizona State Board of Education to court, saying she has the right to hire and fire its staff. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge rules against her but Douglas has said she will appeal.

July 2015

Douglas, committee review education laws

Douglas forms a committee of educators to review Arizona's education laws and recommend those that are outdated be trimmed from the books.

August 2015

Arizona Department of Public Safety called

Douglas calls the Arizona Department of Public Safety on Arizona State Board of Education President Greg Miller after he accidentally grabbed Douglas' arm while taking her microphone away at a meeting. Miller said Douglas was speaking out of turn.

September 2015

(Another) recall effort started

Coalition to Recall Diane Douglas begins circulating petitions.

September 2015

Douglas bans employees from attending meetings

Douglas forbids state employees from attending state Board of Education meetings, saying the meetings have become a side show.

October 2015

Board sues Douglas over access to info

The Board of Education sued Douglas over access to information needed to investigate allegations of misconduct against teachers, saying those investigations have slowed because she will not allow remote access to the records.

Douglas' 156-page plan mainly calls for fewer testing, more money for teachers and replacing Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards with state-based standards with state-based standards. The plan, called "AZ Kids Can't Afford to Wait!," was put together following Douglas' "listening tour."

October 26, 2015

Board repeals 2010 vote on Common Core

The Board of Education votes 6-2 to repeal its 2010 decision to adopt Common Core Standards, though Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards were unaffected. Douglas touts the decision as "a great day for the people of Arizona."